Greenberg Traurig Continues Strategic Growth; Expands Premier M&A/Private Equity Practice with Ivan Presant and Joe Cosentino in New York

NEW YORK, June 5, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The international law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP continues to expand its robust mergers and acquisitions and private equity practices with the addition of shareholders Ivan Presant and Joseph Cosentino who have joined in New York from Clifford Chance.

"The Greenberg Traurig brand stands for excellence, extraordinary value, global collaboration, and a culture of respect, empowerment, and trust. We have assembled a highly experienced and deep team of more than 30 shareholders in our New York corporate department alone, working closely with colleagues in our 29 U.S. offices and our eight international offices, with a particular emphasis on sophisticated M&A and private equity transactions, and Ivan and Joe are timely additions," said Richard A. Rosenbaum, chief executive officer of Greenberg Traurig. "Ivan and Joe will be a perfect fit, I am pleased to welcome both to our Greenberg Traurig family, where they will thrive in this culture and add great skill sets, industry knowledge, and client networks."

Presant is experienced advising domestic and multinational companies as purchasers, sellers, and investors in a wide range of business combination transactions involving both public and private companies. He regularly represents clients on mergers, tender offers, auctions, stock and asset acquisitions and dispositions, and joint ventures. Presant has a J.D. from Northwestern University School of Law and a B.A. from Stanford University.

Cosentino has represented acquirers, targets, boards of directors, special committees, investment banks, and investors involved in the intricate negotiations surrounding unsolicited public and private transactions. He is experienced in both domestic and international transactions across a wide array of industries, including telecommunications, technology, entertainment, pharmaceutical, insurance, and energy and utilities. Cosentino has a J.D. from New York Law School and a B.A. from the University of Maryland.

Cosentino said, "I have found in Greenberg Traurig the firm that will value and empower me personally while also providing the kind of global network and exceptionally strong U.S. platform necessary to take my practice to the next level by fully addressing clients' needs and finding them new opportunities."

"Having now practiced elsewhere, and gained considerable experience in my practice, with clients and in other legal environments, I now see that today's Greenberg Traurig is the place that will best support the kind of growth I envision personally and professionally in these times," added Presant, who returned to Greenberg Traurig after practicing at the firm from 2004 to 2008.

This has been a time of careful strategic growth for Greenberg Traurig, taking advantage of market uncertainty, follower mentality at many firms, and the demand clients have for a firm that can deliver both excellence and value. On Monday, June 1, a team of five Securities Litigation and Financial Regulatory and Compliance lawyers from the respected boutique law firm Michaels, Ward & Rabinovitz, LLP joined the firm's Boston office. The team included shareholders Pete S. Michaels, Daniel M. Rabinovitz and David Ward, and of counsel John Wells.

In late May, Gregory K. Lawrence joined Greenberg Traurig in Washington D.C. and Boston as a senior member of its Global Energy and Infrastructure Practice. Lawrence, who joined from Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft, is one of the leading energy and commodities lawyers in the United States.

At about the same time, Greenberg Traurig simultaneously added two leading Central European real estate teams led by Agnieszka Stankiewicz and Radomil Charzynki. The addition of the teams, which comprised 12 attorneys, to Greenberg Traurig's Warsaw office created one of the largest and most diversified real estate practices in the region. In January, the firm opened its Tokyo office led by an award-winning team of English-speaking Japanese lawyers who understand the local culture and practical aspects of Japanese business and have a track record of solving clients' most critical problems. Koji Ishikawa serves as managing shareholder and shareholders Yuji Ogiwara and Koichiro Ohashi serve as co-chairs of the firmwide Japan Practice.

Since January, the firm has also grown its Corporate & Securities Practice with the addition of shareholders Anthony L. Perricone and Nanette Aguirre in New York, Dorothee Fischer-Appelt and Joel Wheeler in London, Jose Raz Guzman and Miguel Moises in Mexico City, Flora R. Perez in Ft. Lauderdale, Thomas B. Romer in Denver, James A. Dempsey in New Jersey, and Ishikawa and Ohashi in Tokyo.

In February, the firm's Chicago office grew its Investment Management group with the addition of five attorneys including Jeffry M. Henderson and Harris L. Kay as shareholders and Douglas E. Arend and Robert B. Christie as of counsel. In March, the Chicago office also added Peter G. Rush as shareholder and Todd E. Pentecost as of counsel in the Litigation Practice.

In May, continuing its strategic growth in Texas, the firm added a top-tier team of nine attorneys across various practice areas including real estate, labor and employment, intellectual property, litigation, and  health care. The attorneys, whose experience further enhances the firm's highly regarded multi-practice capabilities, include shareholders John J. Tucker and Shira R. Yoshor.

On May 12, the firm was named as one of America's top corporate law firms in the 2015 Annual Law and the Boardroom Study conducted by NYSE Governance Services and FTI Consulting, Inc. The "America's Best Corporate Law Firms" lists reflects the views of more than 500 participating directors and general counsel of publically traded companies who, between February and April 2015, participated in the survey and weighed in on current governance and legal matters. The top 25 law firms, based on the number of votes received, are included in the ranking.

"Our entire strategy is premised upon the delivery of an elite level of legal excellence, like those firms ranked with us in the 'America's Best Corporate Law Firms' top 25 listing, as well as extraordinary value, due to a uniquely efficient and collaborative global platform and delivery system which would be difficult for traditional elite firms to recreate today even if they wanted to," said Rosenbaum. "There is little question that those whose opinions matter most--the very clients who purchase and utilize the most sophisticated legal services in the world--have come to understand they have choices beyond the traditional names and models. We are truly humbled and honored that they have chosen to rank us among the top 25 corporate law firms, an area of great importance to our entire law firm."

Greenberg Traurig's Corporate & Securities Practice comprises more than 350 lawyers who advise public and privately held companies on global mergers and acquisitions, corporate restructurings, private equity and venture capital, underwritten and syndicated offerings, commercial finance and syndicated lending, cross-border transactions, and general corporate matters. The group's industry experience includes transactions in a wide range of fields, from the pharmaceutical, medical devices, and life sciences fields, to representations involving clients in the aviation, banking, energy, health care, manufacturing, technology, and telecommunications sectors.

About Greenberg Traurig, LLP

Greenberg Traurig, LLP is an international, multi-practice law firm with approximately 1800 attorneys serving clients from 37 offices in the United States, Latin America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. The firm is among the "Power Elite" in the 2014 BTI Client Relationship Scorecard report, which assesses the nature and strength of law firms' client relationships. For additional information, please visit www.gtlaw.com.

Contact: Joey Kaiser 212.801.6983 or [email protected]

SOURCE Greenberg Traurig, LLP

Related Links

http://www.gtlaw.com